Dance Inside
by fearlessgurl283
Summary: Here are some drabbles about various characters--though there's lots of Z/K. The chapter title is the one word that each drabble is about. Newest drabble--Death: It doesn’t even have to be days; death happens in minutes, in seconds. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Control

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Control  
**Word count**: 207 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none, except for the pairing (which may be one you don't agree with)**  
****Notes**: I've been reading some drabbles recently and decided to do some of my own. Here's one I thought of on my way home from school today. (There will be many more—some continuing this one, some not)

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Control**

The girl blew a hair out of her eyes angrily. She hated the idea of control. She blinked angry tears away as she thought.

_She had no control over the war._

_She had no control over the fact that they only had a few months before the comet would come._

_She had no control over the fact that they had those little months for Aang to master both Earthbending and Firebending._

_She had no control over Azula and her crazy friends constantly chasing them._

_She had no control over how many people were dying in the war._

_She had no control over her own mother's death._

_She had no control over the fact that she was miles away from home and wouldn't return for a long time, depending on the outcome of the war._

"What the heck do I have control over? What?" she murmured softly, glancing at Zuko.

She smiled as she saw the look in his golden eyes. They contained sorrow as though he had heard her words and thoughts, but something else as well that was distant and in the background. _It was longing._ She then knew what she _did _have control over.

"This," she thought as she brought her lips to his.

_She had control over her life, her fate_.


	2. Hope

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Hope  
**Word count**: 294 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: repetition**  
****Notes**: I got a bunch of ideas after mowing the lawn today, because I had gotten some encouraging reports from people about my stories (thanks!) and I had about an hour of mowing to do that left me to time to think. And think I did. I came up with a couple more good and short drabbles. I've decided this set of drabbles (_Dance Inside_) will be short drabbles about words like choice, hope, honor, strength, courage, love, and pride. Review and tell me other words I could do.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Hope**

He remembered when his uncle had told him, "Zuko, even if you _did_ capture the avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems—not now," and he had replied, "Then there is no hope at all."

His uncle had told him, "No, Zuko, don't ever given in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself._ That_ is the meaning of inner strength."

He had given up on that long past. He instead used pure determination and failure to fuel him. He had lost hope after not capturing the Avatar after many months or maybe even before that when he was burned and banished by his father.

He had lost hope that his father would finally accept him; love him as the son he was. But now as he looked upon these tired faces of townspeople as Katara, Aang, Sokka, and himself passed he saw something on their faces that he thought had long since been gone from people's faces. He saw something that had been gone ever since the Fire Nation had attacked the other nations and started the war.

He turned unbelievably. He had joined the Avatar, his friends, and had joined their quest thinking that they would all die anyway, that the Fire Nation would prevail and everything would be lost. But now it seemed that the Avatar had given the people something to make all the losses worth fighting for, to keep going, to try even though it was hard.

This emotion suddenly now fueled him and he felt a desire to carry on, to fight, to do everything he had long since given up on because he had no longer thought it was possible.

_Hope._


	3. Honor

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Honor  
**Word count**: 444 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: more repetition**  
****Notes**: I know this one has been done a thousand times before by a thousand different people—but I decided to take my own stab at it, the way I think it is and how it should go.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might Katara's emotions and the lack of her anger more believable._

**

* * *

Honor**

"How did you get your scar?" It was a simple question, really, though in reality it was the hardest thing to answer—and at first he had refused to answer the question. She said she had a right to know; he said no, she didn't, she just _wanted_ to know. But after prying more than just a few times, he figured he might as well tell her, because they were traveling together and she probably wouldn't stop bugging him if he refused to tell her.

When he did tell her, he turned and walked away abruptly. He was glad he wasn't on the Avatar's fuzzy flying bison right then—because he needed time to get away and think. She came after him, though. Her eyes were filled with concern and just as she was about to speak he interrupted, "I don't need your pity!"

"I'm not giving you pity, just let me speak. I was going to say that you did the right thing, Zuko. Standing up for those soldiers when nobody else would, makes you an honorable-"

"What do you know about honor?"

"I know that for one, you never lost your honor, Zuko. You stood up for those soldiers and refused to fight your father. You held your head high and went on a mission to capture the Avatar just to show your father—but mostly yourself—that you were an honorable, right and just man and that you deserved his love."

She paused for a moment and he saw something in her eyes. Understanding and pain. She felt pain for not _herself_, but for _him_ and she wanted him to understand what she was saying, and believe it. But he kept his face stony and was silent.

"Zuko, you didn't lose honor that day. For someone like you to go around, with your head held up high, bearing that scar and the fact that everybody you saw would know that your own father burned and banished you—it takes honor, courage and determination. You think your father took your honor, but he didn't. He cared more about _his _honor,_ his_ reputation and what people would think of him—so he declared _you_ a failure, because he couldn't be the one to fail. Zuko, look at me," she said as she turned his face to face hers.

"A failure is somebody who sits down and gives up. Nobody has respect for them and they don't have respect for themselves. You, Zuko, definitely have respect for others and are respectable yourself. I respect you, Zuko, and I know many other people that do." She said softly.

"And do you know what respect is, Zuko?"

"What?" he asked, his golden eyes searching her sapphire eyes for the truth.

"_Honor,"_


	4. Determination

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Determination  
**Word count**: 314 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none**  
****Notes**: I was walking home today and I decided to think up more drabbles for this set. Determination fit perfectly—but I had only thought of some ideas by the time I had gotten home. Plus, I wasn't sure where in the drabble those set of ideas belonged—if they belonged in this drabble at all. Well, right when I started studying for my English final tomorrow I had a sudden burst of ideas. I wrote the drabble and added those little ideas I had thought of on my way home at the end. They fit perfectly and voila! Here you go!

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might Katara's emotions, thoughts, words and the lack of her anger more believable._

**

* * *

Determination**

He had always thought that it was the loss of his honor that was constantly driving him to capture the Avatar. She knew better. _For how could it drive him if he had never lost it? _He had thought he had lost it, but he hadn't. At first when she had told him that, he hadn't believed it. It took a lot of convincing, but soon he accepted it that he had never lost his honor, she had made sure of that.

And now he had joined them, adding a new person to their ranks. Yet he still had this drive, though now this drive was to end the war by helping Aang, the Avatar, win against Fire Lord Ozai—and his father. When she had looked into his amber eyes she had seen the drive. No, he was not like his father—out for revenge. He was doing it for the good of the nations, she had seen that. Her eyes softened when she looked into his. He was so different from his father.

She knew what that drive was now. Sokka had known even before her, though no one had taken much note of it because they had still thought he was an angry firebending prince out to capture the Avatar. Sokka had said it when she thought all hope was lost at the North Pole, when they were searching for Aang after Zuko had captured him. Sokka had said it when she had thought they might have died in the blizzard, when she thought that they hadn't gotten away from it.

"_They're not going to die in this blizzard. If we know anything, it's that Zuko never gives up."_

What faithful words Sokka had said. It was true—Zuko never did give up. She had heard that people's actions were ruled by their emotions, their feelings. And Zuko was driven in his life by one large emotion.

_Determination._


	5. Love

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Love  
**Word count**: 464 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none**  
****Notes**: Totally random, but I was thinking while studying for finals and I remembered something that someone had told me once. It fit so perfectly with this one character in Avatar that I had to make a drabble about it. Can you find it in this drabble?

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might Katara and Zuko's emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Love**

He remembered when Azula had tricked him into believing that his father really wanted him home after three years of banishment. He had said that it was unbelievable, feverish with excitement, but his uncle had been serious when he had said that it _was_ unbelievable and that he didn't think his brother really wanted Zuko back for the reasons Zuko thought. He had replied back angrily saying that his father cared about him, that his father loved him, and wanted him back. His uncle, though, had not been persuaded and told him something he would always remember.

"Zuko, love is not doing what he did to you. You don't burn and banish your own son no matter how upset with him you are." He had flinched but had kept silent and Iroh had continued.

"Zuko, love is accepting someone _for who they are. _When you find someone that accepts you for who you are, Zuko, hold on to them and never let go." He had glared at his uncle and started to say things about how his father did love him and that if love was accepting someone for who they were no one would ever love _him_.

"Zuko, no, don't think like that. Remember your mother? _She_ loved you, Zuko. She knew and accepted you for who you were." He had then remembered when his father had praised Azula when they were younger after she had shown off her firebending moves to his grandfather, how he had tried to do the same. He had failed, but his mother had comforted him saying, "No, I loved watching you. _That's who you are, Zuko_. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard." She had really loved him—unlike his father.

Back then, when his uncle had told him about the true meaning of love, he had been so upset—practically screaming at his uncle that no one would ever love or accept him like his mother did again. But he had been wrong on both counts. He had found out that his uncle loved and accepted him, but there was someone else as well.

At first they had been bitter opposites. When he had joined the Avatar's group they had hated and avoided each other. But they had soon learned that they had more in common than they thought. And he realized now that she had accepted him. She accepted him for who he was, every single part of his history, every part of him. And now, as he looked into her ocean blue eyes, he saw something else in them that he had thought would never be directed toward him from someone else other than his uncle and his mother. Something that burned so brightly in her eyes right now that it was blinding and he was utterly shocked.

_Love._


	6. Pride

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Pride  
**Word count**: 565 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none**  
****Notes**: I was having writer's block as I walked home from school today. It was last day of school, first day of summer, and I couldn't think of a story to save my life. Well, after watching some old episodes of Avatar from the first season, Iroh stayed in my mind. I decided to write a drabble written from his perspective, though in third person.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might Iroh and Zuko's emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Pride**

The old man sipped his tea, sighing. Prince Zuko was somewhere out there in the storm, trying to get lighting to hit him so he could try and redirect it. He had let Zuko go and try, knowing Zuko's determination and stubbornness in this matter. At this point, he thought a bit of foolishness was mixed in as well. He sighed again. Zuko had always felt the need to 'catch up' with his sister, even though he knew she was a firebending prodigy and was much stronger than him. It hurt Zuko to know his _younger sister_ was stronger than him.

But that was what had gotten Zuko into this mess in the first place. That, and many other reasons. Such as how Zuko's father loved his sister more than him, had burned and banished him, and set the fool's errand upon him of capturing the Avatar. Zuko was very stubborn and refused to let anybody help him, even when he needed it. Heck, Zuko had even refused to let _him_ help sometimes and he was Zuko's uncle and the closest person to Zuko.

Zuko would never be able to harness lightning at this rate. Yes, their poverty and the fact that they were now refugees had brought humility upon him, but Zuko still had his pride that he had always had. To be able to shoot lightning out of his fingertips like Azula, Zuko needed to let go of his pride. The old man drank another cup of tea as he sat and thought.

_He_ hadn't been able to make Zuko lose his pride, but maybe someone else could. Iroh's thoughts quickly turned to the Avatar and his group. It would no longer matter if Zuko captured the Avatar anymore—if they went back to the Fire Nation, they would receive the same fate that the Avatar and his friends would. He shuddered…But maybe now they could join forces…They were all running from the same people, and had the same goals in mind right now. It would benefit everyone, in many different ways…

He smiled. As much as Zuko tried to hide it, Iroh saw the admiration he had for the waterbending girl. Iroh thought she had similar feelings as well, though she too tried to hide them. With a little _push_ in the right direction, it might turn into something more. He grinned wider this time. And there were some things that only she could provide for Zuko, in ways no one else could, even Iroh himself. Such as love and support—and she could probably even make Zuko lose the pride he had that made it so hard for him to accept help—among other things—from others. Though Iroh loved and supported him, Zuko needed those things from someone of the female persuasion and the waterbending girl fit perfectly.

Oh, if Zuko only knew of his plans. He'd think Iroh had gotten hit a lot harder by Azula than he really did. And then he'd probably cause the whole place to burn down with his anger. Iroh was getting ahead of himself, as usual.

When Zuko came back, Iroh didn't bother to ask what had happened. He could tell that it hadn't gone well just from Zuko's face and body language, try as he might to hide it. Zuko didn't mention it either, because of the emotion that Iroh had been pondering over the whole time Zuko had been gone.

_Pride._


	7. Duty

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Duty  
**Word count**: 1317 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: the length, perhaps—it's more of a one-shot, almost, than a drabble**  
****Notes**: My sisters were looking over my drabbles and told me that they loved them—but they're all about Zuko and/or Katara. Only one had Aang in it, and it still had Zuko and Katara in it, playing major roles. So, of course, I have to change that and make some about Toph, Aang, Sokka and other people. (Maybe even Azula and Ozai) Here's one about Sokka.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Duty**

Sokka stopped and looked around for a moment, pausing in his work. Twilight was falling upon the camp as the five set out to fix it up for the night. There was actually six people in their group—but one of them couldn't do much because of his injury. And another barely helped at all, even though he was plenty capable of doing it because he perfectly healthy—not injured at all. (At least, not physically.) And he helped mostly while grumbling the whole time and/or when forced. Sokka had asked Katara and the others plenty of times why Zuko and Iroh had joined their group again. He sighed, thinking of how Toph had finally started helping them set up camp, remembering when _she_ had refused to help out—just like Zuko was doing now. What was with people and helping set up camp? He looked over as brightness caught his eye.

A bright campfire blazed as Zuko lit the logs on fire with the little motion of shooting fire from his fingertips—done lazily, almost. Sokka resisted the urge to make a remark, knowing that it would not be good to start an argument now—especially with _him_. Zuko looked up and gave Sokka a bored look, but yet was almost egging him on to say something. Sokka turned away, ignoring him. Tomorrow would be yet another day and he wanted to go to sleep soon—without any disruptions. He glanced over at the sleeping bags littering the camp before turning his head away to look up at the night sky, looking at the beautiful full moon.

Aang noticed that Sokka had suddenly stopped working and was staring up at the moon, knowing instantly what he was thinking about. He looked over to Katara, but she was busy with packing away the food. Aang walked over to Sokka, and interrupted his thoughts.

"You really miss her, don't you?" He asked quietly, looking at Sokka. The boy didn't reply for awhile and Aang almost thought Sokka hadn't heard him—when suddenly he turned his head and replied back quietly,

"She's gone—and I know that she'll always be with me—but it hurts. To think that I was upset when she was arguing with me—telling me that she had duties to her father, to her tribe, and that she couldn't even be friends with me or be around me any more." He stopped and made a sound that to Aang sounded like, "ptt".

"My duty was to protect her. And I failed." He looked down at the ground, unable to continue.

"No Sokka, you did protect her. You did all you could—there was nothing more you could do. She gave up her life to be the moon spirit because it was her duty to do that—she needed to do that more than she needed to do anything else in world. I know it's hard, but if she didn't do it—well, where would we be? Without the moon, there would be no world—just chaos. We would have all died."

"At least I would have died with her then—not living without her." Sokka turned away, almost to a point of tears. But he didn't cry. He wouldn't, now—not ever. Aang sighed. _This was hopeless_. He was no good at comforting people—that was Katara's specialty. Someone must have heard his plea, though, because suddenly Katara appeared and put her hand on Sokka's shoulder.

"Sokka, she wouldn't have wanted you to live like this, torturing yourself. She gave her life so we all could live. She loved you, Sokka, and she would hate you to kill yourself for her. _Live_ for her, Sokka. Keep her memory alive by living." Katara smiled and hugged her brother, but when she let go she saw that Sokka still was staring out at the moon, unconvinced. Katara walked over to Aang, smiled sadly, and whispered, "I tried."

Toph was in her little rock tent feeling the three's vibrations and thinking of how pathetic it was. She might not be able to see anything, but she could _feel _how depressed Sokka was just because of the way he sat and the vibrations he gave off. She sighed. There were now six people in their group and everyone was just so _depressing_. And right now everybody was thinking of their losses, making her even _more _depressed. The three over by the clearing were thinking about Yue, the moon spirit—and also the girl who had given her life up to be the moon spirit, sure, she had gathered that much after asking Katara about it before—but they were thinking of other losses as well. She felt the vibrations in the earth, knowing that Zuko wouldn't help comfort Sokka. This was partially because Zuko wasn't the comforting type, partially because he didn't want to, and partially because he needed comfort from _his_ losses as well. Sokka wouldn't get help from the old man beside Zuko either, because he was already asleep.

She sighed again. It was up to her, then. She walked over to the three, sitting down next to Sokka.

"I know that you're probably not going to listen to me since you ignored your closest friend and even your sister, but I'm to say it anyways," she began, pausing for a response from Sokka, but continued when he remained silent. "I'll tell you something somebody once told me, two pieces of advice that I'll never forget. First of all, they told me, _'To find bigger seas, you must not be afraid to lose sight of the shore._" Toph paused for dramatic affect, and could feel the people around her deciphering the meaning hidden in her words.

"I may be blind, but I can still see that you loved her very much and she loved you back. She would have wanted you to keep her memory alive, but she would have also wanted you to move on. You need some happiness during this gloom, dreary and devastating war.

"The second piece of advice they told me was in the form of a question. They said to me, _'If you don't have anything to die for, what's there to live for?'" _This time Toph got up and went back to her rock tent and laid down to go to sleep, knowing that she had left Sokka plenty to ponder. She fell asleep quickly, happy with what she had done.

Katara stared at Sokka with disbelief. Toph's words were slowly penetrating his mind, showing a combination of confusion and understanding on his face. Katara yawned, and got up to go back to her sleeping bag and get some sleep. But before she did, she hugged her brother and murmured one last piece of advice to him.

"Sokka, sometimes your duty is to your heart. And right now, your heart is telling you to find happiness in someone else." She left, and motioned for Aang to follow. He did, after taking one last glance at Sokka, who had gone back to staring up at the moon.

"Yue," he murmured, knowing that she could hear him, "I ignored my sister and my friends before, too upset to think. But now I've finally heard what they've been saying all along and have finally figured out some things." He paused, looking at the ground, and then continued, still not looking up. "When I was a little kid, I was so carefree, so happy. When my dad went off to fight in the war, I wanted to come with—I thought it was a happy and joyous thing to be fighting, something that I could do because I thought I could fight, never thinking much of it. When he told me that I couldn't come, that it was my responsibility to stay home and protect my sister, I didn't understand and I told him so. He told me that someday I would. I know now what my responsibilities are and what responsibility is." Sokka stopped again and looked up, looking directly at the moon.

"_Duty,"_


	8. Limits

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Limits  
**Word count**: 854 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none**  
****Notes**: This takes place in Episode 13: The Blue Spirit, when Zuko is training on the edge of his ship.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Limits**

He drove another roundhouse kick into the open air, fire shooting out of his feet in bursts. It was followed by another set of kicks and punches accompanied by grunts and breathlessness. The horizon was bleak with dark gray clouds covering the sky, no blue penetrating the smoky clouds. The ship reflected the sky—a deep onyx color—the steel dull from sailing the waters for years, a pointless search that drove it across the globe. He stopped for a minute, breathing hard, but suddenly got up again—though he was tired—and shot some more kicks of fire into the air as in his mind he had heard _resting is weak, to rest is weakness._ He focused on an imaginary opponent—his face drawing into a scowl, thinking of one particular opponent in particular. His punches and kicks became more rushed as he spun around, getting at all corners with his fiery fighting.

"Prince Zuko, you're going to wear yourself out if you keep training without rest. Come, have some jasmine tea with me." His uncle's voice rang out across the waters, coming from behind him. He ignored him, if only for a moment, and kept at it—but stopped when he fell over and almost collapsed, his breathing heavy and loud. His uncle rushed over to him and put his hands on his nephew's shoulders and was just getting ready to help him when Zuko flung Iroh's hands off, jumping up and punching the air again.

Iroh sighed, knowing that Zuko wouldn't listen to him until he completely collapsed. Zuko was upset that Zhao was making the Avatar top priority, thinking that it was only a matter of time before Zhao captured him now, with all of Zhao's resources. Iroh watched sadly while Zuko spun around and did another flaming kick—and, as if in slow motion, he watched as Zuko fall to the ground with a sickening slowness, making a thudding noise from hitting the steel ship. He ran over to his nephew, knowing that Zuko wouldn't be able to refuse his help this time, knowing that after this collapse Zuko wouldn't be able to get up without help. Iroh put his hands around Zuko's waist, pulling him up.

"Come, Prince Zuko, I'll take you to your room." He said as he put Zuko's arm over his head and slowly supported him as they walked toward Zuko's cabin. Zuko moaned something but didn't have much strength left to say much. "Zuko, Zuko, _Zuko_. Why do you do this to yourself?" Iroh scolded as he helped Zuko lay across his bed. He didn't expect an answer and was surprised when Zuko opened his eyes and tried to sit up, moaning, after replying back hoarsely,

"Because I need to capture the Avatar. I want my honor back, my throne, _my country_." Iroh pushed him back down again saying,

"No, Zuko, you need your rest. That was enough training for today. You're exhausted. You deserve some rest. The Avatar can wait." He smiled sadly, looking at his nephew's face. He stood up and walked out of the room, looking back once to see if Zuko had decided to move. He hadn't, so Iroh continued out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Back on his bed, Zuko moaned. Why _did_ he push himself so hard?

_It's because I need the Avatar to restore my honor and my throne. _

_**You idiot. Zhao probably already is close to capturing the Avatar—if he hasn't captured him already with all of his resources and making capturing the Avatar top priority and everything.**_

_Zhao underestimates the power that kid has. He underestimated me once as well._

_**It doesn't matter. What Zhao wants, he gets.**_

_He's a nut-job if he thinks that he can capture the Avatar._

_**If Zhao can't capture the Avatar, how will **__**you**__** capture the Avatar?**_

_I'm stronger than Zhao. I beat him in our Agni Kai, and I know how the Avatar works, how he fights. I can win. I can capture the Avatar._

_**You're crazy.**_

Zuko moaned again. Even his conscience thought he was a loser, a banished prince without honor. He would show everybody that he was a man with honor and respect—he _would_ capture the Avatar. Nobody understood how hard it was for him to sit around knowing that one kid running around free in the world was his ticket home—his ride home to his father and his honor. Nobody understood how hard he worked himself, that he worked himself to be able to fight and capture the Avatar. How nothing mattered anymore but doing exactly that. He pushed the boundaries of his body to exhaustion and further. _This, after all, was not the first time he had come close to passing out._

He almost laughed—but it hurt to move—and so he held back, thinking of that one old saying someone had once told him. How did it go again? Oh yeah—_what doesn't kill you makes you stronger._ That definitely fit him well. He pushed his boundaries till they went up in smoke. That's all they were, after all. Small walls holding him back—holding him back from the prize, what he aimed for.

That's all they were—boundaries; _limits_.


	9. Journey

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Journey  
**Word count**: 614 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: the ramblings of Sokka**  
****Notes**: Just a little drabble on what Sokka was thinking while he was stuck in the crack in the earth during the episode, "Bitter Work". It ties in nicely with the rest of my drabbles as well. Again, I'm trying to incorporate character other than Zuko and Katara in these drabbles—but it's hard because there are so many drabbles you can do using just them! Anyway, here's one with my favorite dry-humor and sarcasm guy, Sokka.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Journey**

The stillness of the air was disturbing. The baby saber-toothed moose lion cub was sitting on his head and he was stuck in a crack in the earth. How he had gotten in that situation was beyond him. All he knew was that he had been hunting the little creature and had jumped down from a tree only to land in a crack in the earth, falling in further the more he tried to get out of it. It seemed like cruel revenge from those he hunted—as he was stuck in a crack and couldn't move an inch, much less hunt an animal for food. So there he was there, stuck, immobile and pondering about his life so far with his sister, Aang, and now Toph. And what a life they had been leading. He smiled, thinking of how fate had intervened that day in Katara and his lives.

It amazed him how one day of going fishing, losing their boat and getting stuck on an ice raft was the first day of the rest of their lives. He, of course, had said some not so nice comments to his sister and she had gotten seriously mad at him. Like, if she had been a firebender, steam would have been coming out of her ears and she would have fried him by then. She had then burst the iceberg, she had been so mad, and they had discovered Aang, the Avatar that had been lost to the world for a hundred years.

From then on, Aang's destiny had been intertwined with theirs and their lives had never been the same. They had gone on a whirlwind trip that was still going on right now—and wouldn't stop until they went to the Fire Nation and Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai or at least died trying. Sokka shuddered. He really didn't want to think of that right now; he wanted Aang to win so the world could live on in peace. The war had been going on for way too long—and their trip to the Fire Nation would end the war, whether they won or they lost the final battle—though he really hoped their side would prevail, because the world would never be the same if the Fire Nation won.

And this trip would determine the outcome of the war. They had to go all over the world just for Aang to be able to learn from three masters, three people that would teach him the three remaining elements that he had to master so he could defeat the Fire Lord. Katara had taught Aang basically all there was to know about waterbending—so Aang was basically a waterbending master—and Toph was now teaching Aang earthbending, which he still was working on mastering. All that was left was to find a firebending master before Aang could be able to defeat Ozai. _(But who?)_

Sokka sighed. It was exhausting thinking of all the places they'd been and all the places they would probably have to go soon on their trip. But he was happy. At first he didn't like the fact that he had been dragged on a trip just for Katara—because she had wanted to go with Aang to the North Pole to learn waterbending and it was his job to protect her—but now he was happy and excited that he had come along. Their travels across the world were exhausting, but fun. He had never realized what traveling across the world in search of something was really called; he never realized he would be doing it. But here he was, doing it and finally realizing what traipsing across the world meant. He could sum it up in one word.

_Journey._


	10. Defeat

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Defeat  
**Word count**: 878 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: none **  
****Notes**: Well, here is another story I wrote on my vacation. I asked my sisters what they thought of it (they watch Avatar eagerly as well) and they said it was mostly just a collection of things that had happened to Zuko in the series. But I added feelings and other things that hadn't happened—so I think you will like it.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Defeat**

"You've always thrown everything you could at me. But I can take it! And now I can give it _back_!" He yelled, directly at the heavens. Lightning flashed across the sky, as if in answer. Thunder rumbled in the distance and the sky was a dark black void, filled with dark gray thunderclouds.

"Go on, strike me! You've never held back before!" He screamed, his voice cracking. He looked up at the sky, his face contorted in a grimace—filled with anger, sorrow and a handful of other emotions. Lightning flashed across the sky again, followed by thunder—but never got close to the mountain peak he was standing on.

It was almost as if someone was mocking him, holding something right in front of his face, just to pull it back right before he could reach it. The rain was pouring now—and he almost couldn't feel the one tear rolling down his right cheek from his unscarred eye. He fell down on his knees and broke down. His tears were almost undistinguishable from the pouring rain. _Was everything against him?_ It seemed like he always lost, he was always defeated.

He was reminded of the North Pole when he had fought with Zhao. He had angrily retorted that Zhao had tried to kill him when Zhao had said, "You're alive?" as if he doubted that Zuko could have survived—and Zhao had said back calmly, "Yes, I did. You should have accepted your defeat, your failure. And then you could have lived!" He had angrily shot flames at Zhao_. Did everyone think he was a failure?_ Then the ocean spirit had taken Zhao, pulling him into the icy waters. Zuko had reached out his hand—but Zhao had pulled back his hand, accepting death rather than accepting help from Zuko, whom Zhao considered a traitor and a failure.

That reminded Zuko of another bad time he had encountered Zhao, the time when Zhao had insulted him, causing Zuko to demand an Agni Kai with Zhao. Zuko had won—after coming back from near-defeat—and had stood over Zhao, in the position to finish him off. Zhao knew as well, but he also knew or was at least pretty sure that Zuko wouldn't kill him. Zhao was cocky and Zuko could have killed Zhao, but he was right. Zuko hadn't finished him off—he had just done a flaming punch to the side of Zhao's head instead of scarring, burning or killing Zhao with a final finishing blow. Zhao had said unbelievably, "That's it? Your father raised a coward." And Zuko had furiously said back, "Next time you get in my way I promise I won't hold back!" but it was only a cover up for Zuko's true feelings. "_He was right,"_ Zuko thought. He could never accept defeat. And yet he had had so many losses, so many failed attempts of catching the Avatar—so many times the kid had escaped from capture.

And then there were all the times his younger sister had tricked him, lied to him. So many times she had bested him. She was a firebending _prodigy_. Everything always…came easy to her. He had to _struggle_ and _fight,_ just to get by. When he had found out that she had lied to him about his father wanting him home he had fought her while his uncle had taken care of her soldiers. He had worked his hardest just to stay conscious; she hadn't worked at all. He had thrown all his best fire punches and kicks; she had blocked his attacks with ease. He breathed heavily after a few minutes of fighting with her; she had had enough breath to carry on a conversation, with insults hidden in her words, all the while perfectly blocking all of his attacks. She had almost defeated him too, by backing up an incline and finally attacking him by shooting blue fire at him and making him fall all the way to the bottom, where he slowly lost consciousness. If it hadn't been for his uncle—well, he didn't want to think about it.

All these times, he had almost lost, but he hadn't. Except for the times trying to capture the Avatar, he had always won, though barely. He had always held on, never accepting his loss, fighting until the end—which was usually when he lost consciousness, which didn't happen often. Everyone had always tried to convince him that he was a failure—his uncle had told him that was not so and had proved it to him, thought he had not accepted his uncle's words. But now, as the rain and the storm stopped and the sun came out, he began to see things differently.

Just as the sun came out after a bad storm, he realized now that there was light in the darkness of his situation. He finally realized that Zhao was _wrong_. He realized that he was wrong to believe Zhao's hateful words and think them right. Zhao had said that Zuko had lost, but he hadn't. "Only if you give up do you truly lose," his uncle had told him awhile back. "Only when you submit to hardships and stop trying you lose. Because then you admit it."

"Admit what?" Zuko had asked, confused by his uncle's words. Iroh had smiled sadly then before answering him.

"_Defeat."_


	11. Idea

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Idea  
**Word count**: 1976 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: a certain pairing and some ideas that may not seem very realistic at all **  
****Notes**: I'm sorry to everyone who wanted a fic with Toph and Aang in it—but I just couldn't think of ideas for that right now. I just had to do another character (not Katara, Zuko, Toph, Aang, Sokka or Iroh) instead, because I had a good idea for it. (And that's the title of this drabble xD)

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Idea**

The room was dark except for the high flames in front of the throne that the Fire Lord was sitting on. The meeting in the war room had been going on for quite some time now and was trying the Ozai's patience. The plan to crush Ba Sing Se was taken very cautiously in remembrance of the failed siege by none other than the Fire Lord's own brother, 'the once great' Iroh. Finally the tell-tale signs of the meeting ending showed and the Fire Lord sighed in relief.

He was completely unaware of the small girl hiding behind one of the pillars. She watched carefully, waiting for her cue. She did not have long to wait either—as soon enough, one of the generals stood up and asked, "Is there any questions?" more as a formality than an actual question.

So the Fire Lord watched in disbelief as a girl came from behind one the pillars near the corner, walking to the front of the room and looking directly at the Fire Lord, saying, "I have a question for the Fire Lord." The generals looked nervously at each other. _This wasn't supposed to happen_. Nobody else was supposed to be in the war room, no other men or boys, much less a _little girl_ and absolutely no one was supposed to ask a question. They had to do something—but were considering if it was worse to speak out and say something or wait for the Fire Lord to do something.

The decision was made for them when one of the younger men in the room stood up and said, "My Lord, we will get her out of her at once and have her severely punished. We have no idea how she got in here, but we—"

"Stop. You will all leave at once. I will deal with her." The Fire Lord commanded, speaking an even tone while still looking at the girl as if he was captivated by her—though his voice sounded deathly to the old generals. They glanced at one another quickly and were about to protest when the Fire Lord looked at them and said a little louder, "You _will _leave at once or I will have you _personally_ escorted out of the room," venom seeping off his tongue. The generals wasted no more time, standing up quickly and walking out of the room, none of them daring to glance back. The guards in front of the door on the outside had gone into the room at the sound of the commotion and now looked toward the Fire Lord, awaiting his orders.

"Leave." He said, waving a dismissal hand at them. They wasted no time questioning him like the generals did and left the room. The Fire Lord turned his attention back to the girl, looking her over.

She was not clearly Fire Nation, not clearly any nation at all. Her hair was a light brown, almost to a point of not being considered brown—and her eyes looked like a hazel color. They changed from green to brown to gray, even to a point of almost being _blue_ as the light of the fire flickered, which didn't seem at all natural to Ozai. Their color reflected the dominant eye color of each nation and the Fire Lord was slowly growing angry with his confusion.

How dare _she_ confuse _him_! He looked her over again, guessing that she was about nine or ten, though she had the posture and act of a girl much older. She did not waver in front of him, did not cower in fear—her eyes and face did not even show traces of fear. Her face was practically a mask, one of emotionless and expressionless beauty. She was not like anybody else he had ever met and his curiosity grew. He was sure that she must have been trained at an early age to be like that, and had been trained _well_.

He would have some fun with her after interrogating her.

But he had to first gain her trust, see how much she had heard and how much she knew. He sighed. She would have to die, for all the information she heard could not be trusted to be kept a secret. But what surprised and angered the Fire Lord even more than what he had already been pondering about was the fact that she spoke _first. _Even more than that was the fact that she did bow or kneel or even address him as one should.

No, she walked up to him as close to the flames as she could get without touching them, stood straight up, looking straight into his eyes and said, "Why do you want to conquer the world? Why do you want to win this war against all of the other nations?" The Fire Lord was speechless and didn't even have time to regain his composure before she started again.

"I mean, sure, you'd be in charge of the whole world and all, but why do you want that? I mean, number one, the other nations won't bow down to you; you'd have to kill them first. And even if you did murder and hurt people until they bowed down to you, what would you achieve from that? World domination sounds nice and all, but you'd get bored eventually. Once you have everything, you'd still want more. I mean, you've always wanted more—always. But if you have everything already, what's there left to get, to go after?"

Ozai could not believe the insults he heard coming out of her mouth at him, the flames in front of him slowly rising with his anger and he was just about to angrily retort back '_who do you think you are to be talking—talking to me like that_?" but she started again, cutting him off.

"Let's see," she said, holding up her fingers, putting them down as she counted things off. "You're already the Fire Lord, in charge of the Fire Nation and higher than anybody in the Fire Nation—and probably all the other royalty and leaders of the world. You've got probably the strongest army and navy of the nations. Your country is currently winning the war. Sozin's comet will come in the summer and your firebenders will be granted greater power than anyone will ever know, making you end the war in your favor. Once the Fire Nation wins the war, world domination will be in your grasp. You'll have everything you've have ever wanted, everything that your father and his father fought to get—and yet you _still _won't be satisfied. Even with someone to fulfill your every whim, every desire, you still will want and crave _more_. One can never have enough, I guess." She said, smirking. The Fire Lord at this point was burning up, but the girl was still not done.

"The only hitch to your whole plan is the Avatar. He returned to the world many months ago and your people have still not captured him, try as they might. You've got the highest, most trained, best firebenders out there searching for him, chasing him and still he has escaped every time. He's the only one who can stop you now, but he still has to master all four elements by summertime. He's already mastered airbending and waterbending—and he's learning earthbending as we speak. The only thing left for him is to find a firebending teacher soon so he can master all four elements. Your only hope now is that he won't find that teacher, because he is clearly incapable of being captured.

"And then there's another hitch. Your son whom you call a _failure_ and a _disgrace_ and your brother who you consider a traitor. Both are enemies to the Fire Nation now and are running from your daughter who is trying to capture them. Your worst fears will come true when they join the Avatar and teach him firebending, for they are the only firebenders that can teach him currently that aren't attached to the fire nation—for Master Jeong Jeong, the Avatar's old firebending teacher, disappeared and hasn't returned. It is only time before the two groups join up, for both are running from you and both have the same goals in mind. I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet, but you of all people should know of Zuko's pride." She said, her voice never wavering. And still she would not let the Fire Lord be and continued.

"So, what is it? Even if the Avatar is defeated, what is it about world domination that you want? It must be the _idea_ of world domination that captures your fancy—the fact that it's something still yet to defeat and _win_. Something out there that doesn't belong to you, something you have not conquered yet. It must be the idea, just like the idea of Zuko not acting as you want him to gets you all burned up. It has to be the _idea_ of the whole world bowing down to you that must appease you." She said, finally stopping.

"Just like the _idea_ of you slowly burning to death right where you stand would appease me." Ozai said very icily. The girl did not look frightened at all, did not have any expression on her face at all.

"_Who do you think you are_?" The fire lord asked, continuing. He seriously was considering roasting her right then and there. _She_ knew _everything _about _him_, and yet _he_ knew _nothing _about _her_.

"My name is Lei." She said, still expressionless. "And I think I just outsmarted the Fire Lord."

Suddenly the flames roared to the ceiling and a fire ball was hurtled from the Fire Lord's throne. It never met its target, though, because the girl had disappeared. The fire lord screamed with anguish. She had disappeared without a trace and _still _he knew nothing about her except her name and that she knew _way too much_ for his liking.

He would find her, though, and he would make sure that _she got what she deserved_.

* * *

Lei watched from afar as Ozai nearly burnt down the whole room. She had said what she had come to say and had gotten her question answered as well. She looked down at her blue spirit form and smiled as her ride appeared. She touched the blue bison, and they disappeared.

* * *

The man watched as she reappeared in the room. The bison happily joined him and he smiled. He did not need to say anything, there was nothing to say. She smiled as well and nodded. Suddenly the man, the bison and the room disappeared and another replaced it.

* * *

A man and woman, each in red robes, nervously watched the girl on the floor—who was obviously in some sort of trance, her eyes glowing. The man paced across the room and the woman stood in place, her dark brown hair moving with the breeze coming in through the window, her eyes never leaving the girl. Suddenly the girl's eyes stopped glowing and she opened her eyes and stood up shakily. The woman rushed over to her and helped her stand up. The man stopped and watched, his nervousness growing. The girl brushed off the woman's affection as nicely as she could and turned to the man.

"I was right." She said, smirking, "It _was_ just the idea, father."

He smiled finally and said, "I never said you were wrong. I just said you needed to see it for yourself—though that wasn't quite what I meant when I said I wanted you to see it for yourself."

"Does time travel make you nervous?" the girl said, her smirk growing. Her father smiled, thinking that she acted just like _he_ used to.

The woman looked between the two, a smirk slowing growing on _her_ face. She turned to the man.

"So," she said jokingly, "Does the _idea_ of world domination appeal to you as well, _Fire Lord Zuko_?"

* * *

A/N- Well, I'm certainly getting better with twists! Hehe, I just can't help putting in Zutara. But you got your dose of Ozai! And I used a different ending than I normally do!

Anyway, if you _didn't_ get it; here goes:

Lei is from the future; she is Katara and Zuko's daughter and she is the new Avatar. (Sorry; I killed Aang! I had to, to make Lei the Avatar.) The first man you read about is Aang—and Lei is talking to him like Aang did with Roku in Avatar, you know, at the Winter Solstice—and Appa helped her travel back in time to talk to Ozai because she was curious about the reason why her grandfather wanted world domination. (And Lei is a smart aleck, if you haven't noticed—she likes to mess with people.)

I fit all that into one drabble _and _used a different ending. Yay!


	12. Façade

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Façade  
**Word count**: 942 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: just ideas about a character that have been since proven false by canon **  
****Notes**: I was in bed—half asleep—when I thought of this drabble. Well, technically I just thought of some ideas and hadn't arranged them, but I thought of the basic drabble nonetheless. Then I wrote part it down during my swim conference today, before I swam my events. (FYI, swim meets take like 2-4 hours, depending on many things—and it usually takes 20-30 minutes to get through one whole event for each gender and age group, so us swimmers have a lot of free time on our hands at swim meets because of that and also because of the fact we usually only swim 2-4 things)

I switched quite a few things around after I wrote them, so the finished story you see here is not what my ideas or even the rough draft planned it out to be. Oh and finally, just a note, but many of the things written here in this story are assumed or made up—since we don't know much about this character or their past. (And no, I'm not going to say their name; you'll have to just read the story to find out—oh and no, this story is NOT from Azula's perspective, if you think that)

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

F****açade**

Their day had been interesting at best. Not as great as Azula had predicted. She had not succeeded in capturing the Avatar and had been upset when she found out that they hadn't been successful in capturing the bison and the two water tribe teens either. _Upset was an understatement_. Azula had been furious, but had kept a cool face the entire time. Azula was not one to show emotions, but _she _always knew what Azula was feeling. If there was one thing she was good at, it was reading and interpreting people. And she _was_ good at it. It kept her sane in a world torn by war, treachery, destruction and death. _And no one knew of her talent either_. They were trapped in their own worlds and didn't bother to think otherwise of people they already thought they knew. And that was their first mistake.

She fixed her ponytail braid and looked over where Azula was sleeping before quickly turning her head away in disgust. Azula was a manipulative witch who didn't deserve her attention. Even more was the fact that that interpretation just hit Azula's outer surface. For she knew that Azula hid behind multiple layers that hid her true feelings and thoughts. Even her own _friends _didn't really know what she was thinking or feeling—but _she _studied people and knew what was behind Azula's walls. Of course, Azula treated her friends not much better than her enemies and it was not much to be her friend.

It was funny—their relationship. Neither liked the other but pretended to. But Azula didn't know that _she_ **hated** her, it was one of the things that _she_ kept behind _her _walls. Azula treated her like dirt and still expected her to worship the ground Azula walked on. _As if_! Of course, she _pretended_ to at least like Azula like a good friend.

She turned her thoughts away from Azula. It was a touchy subject, and it always ruined her mood. She stared off into the darkness of the woods they had camped by. She liked when it was her turn for the night watch because it gave her time to think. Time to re-evaluate things; to mull things over. And she didn't have time to do that during the day because she always had to be one step ahead of everyone else—her life depended on it. Everyone else always thought they were the ones one step ahead—and that _she_ was the one who needed to catch up, but they were wrong. They knew _nothing_ of her, of her life. She was known as Ty Lee, the carefree and happy gymnast, the bubbly and optimistic acrobat. Sometimes even the clueless girl. Not stupid, but not considered brilliant or clever like Azula. She grimaced. She was thinking about Azula _again._

Azula always seemed to come up when she thought about things because she _was _traveling with Azula, after all. She was basically around her all day, for weeks on end. And she was always _compared_ to her as well. Most people thought the only thing Ty Lee was better at than Azula was acrobatics. Azula could never really master anything past a cartwheel or two. Ty Lee might have been the daughter of a nobleman, but she didn't have bending. She was Fire Nation—and she would have no life if they didn't capture the Avatar, Iroh and Zuko. Of course, if they did it would be over for her anyway—because she didn't think even Fire Nation nobles could survive in a world where Fire Lord Ozai ruled the world. She didn't think she could live with herself anyway if she sentenced two men to death and a boy to horrible life in imprisonment where the Fire Lord would torture him in the worst ways possible without killing him. Once the comet came it would be all over.

Ty Lee frowned. Now that she actually thought about the whole war and what she was doing by helping Azula, she doubted her actions. What good would come of it all anyway? She was instantly glad that she had thought the whole situation over in her head—for she could have been partly responsible for whatever came with the capture of the Avatar, Zuko and Iroh. She quickly turned over ideas in her mind as they turned into plans. She would have to pretend to go along with Azula for just awhile longer. Mai couldn't know either—she was too close to Azula to trust. Of course, she hadn't told Mai anything anyway. She had just acted like her bubbly self that Mai remembered from when they grew up together. Too bad that just wasn't_ her_ anymore. The optimistic gymnast who joined the circus was _gone_.

Suddenly there was a crash nearby and she saw the bison fly overhead quickly before flying off into the distance. It was the Avatar's bison and he must have accidentally broken the top of some trees nearby by flying too low. A bolt of lightning flew past her left shoulder a few seconds after. Azula just happened to be a light sleeper and had heard the commotion. Azula quickly joined her side along with Mai.

"What was that?" Azula asked her, walking toward the noise. It took only a second for her to make her choice.

Only one second to know what had been, what _was_, what would be if she didn't do the correct thing, and what _should_ be.

Only one second for the mask to slip back on her face—the façade that was her life, her appearance, her _whole being_.

"I don't know, Azula. I didn't see anything."

Azula wasn't the only one who put up a façade.


	13. Believe

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Believe  
**Word count**: 816 **Rating**: PG **Warnings**: none **  
****Notes**: Well, I have a request thread on the DH (Distant Horizons) forum and one of the requests was to do a fairly long Taang drabble—so here it is. Not as fluffy as what was prompted, but close enough. I think it came out well anyway. You be the judge.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Believe**

He has known many people from all the nations. Known firebenders, earthbenders, waterbenders and fellow airbenders alike. And yet, she is different from every person he has ever met—any girl, for that matter. It's not her blindness, either. There's just _something_ about her that sets her apart. Something that that makes him feel attracted to her, to make him have _feelings_ for her.

The feelings part is what makes the whole thing complicated. She's his _teacher_, and he's her _student_. Of course, that never stopped him before from liking his _other _teacher. So that's not the problem either.

It's the fact that he can never express what he feels _the right way_. What he does usually goes unheard—or it backfires and is taken the wrong way. Maybe it's because he grew up with fellow male monks and hadn't seen a girl until Katara; maybe it's just because girls are just so hard to interpret and understand.

And though he really shouldn't believe in the fortuneteller nonsense, he can't but believe that she was speaking truly when she said that he had the power to reshape his own destiny. So when he gets up from his spot by the campfire, his decision is made.

He scans their campsite for her and finds her off to the side in the clearing, sitting down with her head tilted up toward the moon. He walks over to her and before he can say anything she speaks.

"I know what you're thinking. You think it's stupid to look up at the sky when I can't see anything."

He is startled, but sits and down and says softly, "No, I wasn't thinking that."

She lets out a strained sigh and continues. "It's just that I've always wanted to see the sky—to be able to see the colors of everything, to see what everyone else sees up there. Sometimes, if I try hard enough, I can almost picture something in the blackness." A soft laugh escapes her lips and she turns toward him.

"So what were you thinking, then, if you weren't thinking about how pathetic I am to be looking at the sky when there's nothing to see?" He had been looking up toward the moon, reveling in its beautiful light. Now he turned toward her, taking a deep breath and preparing for what he was about to say.

"Toph…I…see, I-" He stopped, waiting for her to cut him off, telling him to stop stuttering and spit out what he wanted to say already, but it never came. She sat there quietly, waiting for him to go—almost waiting in anticipation of what he was about to say, as if she knew what was coming. He took another deep breath and said softly "I was just thinking about you—how I like you…more than normal." His voice grew softer yet and she sat still to catch his words. "More than you would like a good friend."

He waited, waited for a change of an expression on her face—for her to say something, _anything_. But nothing came._ It didn't work_. He shouldn't have hoped for it to. He got up and started walking back toward the campsite muttering, "Never mind" to her.

Her words stopped him in his tracks, her voice floating in the air from where she still sat, gazing up toward the sky.

"I heard what you said—I just don't understand it. I mean, there are plenty of girls you could like who aren't trapped in this cage of darkness like I am. Why me?" She turned toward him, and her voice cracked with the last of her words. He turned, a questioning look on his face, forgetting that she could not see him. Did she really mean it the way he thought it sounded? He looked at her closely and saw a blush on her face. She did mean it that way.

At that moment he decided to just take a leap of faith and see what would happen. He walked back toward her and said,

"Maybe this will help you understand," before placing a small kiss on her lips. He broke away and looked at her. She had a shocked expression on his face and something else as well, almost like _disappointment_? His face fell. It didn't work—yet _again_. He walked quickly back to the campsite, and fell down into Appa's fur, faking sleep in case she came back. Maybe this would all just be a nightmare when he woke up.

So it was only natural that when she kissed him after their earthbending lesson the next day, he stood there for a moment in shock.

"I thought you didn't like me that way." He stated, still surprised at her actions.

"Maybe you think too hard, Twinkle Toes." She said back with a laugh, before leaning in to kiss him again.

The world soon faded into a blissful oblivion as he kissed her back, Sokka's shouts of, "I thought you liked Katara!" going unheard.


	14. Wish

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Wish  
**Word count**: 200 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: the pairing and constant repetition**  
****Notes**: I was trying to write a Zutara drabble for my Zutara 100 set of drabbles but was failing miserably. I found that I'm much better at writing feelings and thoughts than writing action. Thus this is what came out—and instead of fulfilling my Zutara 100, I fulfilled another drabble for this drabble set. Enjoy.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Wish**

_She had wished for a change of pace from the boring day-to-day routine she had in the South Pole. _What she had gotten was a whirlwind journey that brought her to new realizations that changed the way she thought and made her rethink her place in the world.

_She had wished for her mother back. _What she had gotten was the surfacing of bad memories and a terrible hole reopening in her heart.

_She had wished for Aang, the Avatar, to save the world. _What she had gotten was a fragile world that would most likely never stabilize from the hundred year war.

_She had wished for peace. _What she had gotten was a post-war world in which war was always threatening to break out and an overworked man struggling to keep the peace between the nations.

_She had wished for a tall and handsome powerful bender to marry. _What she had gotten was the last possible man she had ever thought she would end up with.

Reality, she reasoned, was _nothing_ you could ever imagine, nothing you could ever _dream_ of. No, she thought, reality was so much _better_ than dreams, her newborn twins in her arms and the Fire Lord by her side.


	15. Tradition

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Tradition  
**Word count**: 153 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: only the pairing**  
****Notes**: Yet again I was trying to write a Zutara drabble for my Zutara 100 set of drabbles but was failing miserably. This is what came out—and instead of fulfilling my Zutara 100, I fulfilled another drabble for this drabble set. Enjoy.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Tradition**

She had always kept her hair the same way—a bun with a braid in the back and hair loops in the front. Maybe it was just keeping to old customs or maybe she did it to remember her mother, as _she_ had dressed her hair that way.

She had never thought that it had been holding her back, keeping her from moving on with her life, keeping her from her _destiny_.

But time had proven that true. She had seen old customs and traditions proven wrong time and time again. They no longer held anything in the modern day world.

Today, she thought as she let her hair down, traditions would be broken.

"I'm ready now." she said, turning away from the mirror to the woman behind her. The woman's face broke out in a broad grin as she put her hands on the other woman's shoulders.

"You're going to be one heck of a Fire Lady, Katara."


	16. Reality

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Reality  
**Word count**: 148 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: just the pairing**  
****Notes**: I've been _so _annoyed at all the people saying that Zutara will never happen, Zutara isn't possible, and more blah blah blah…So this is the rebuttal to all those people, in the form of a drabble. And all you loyal Zutara shippers will enjoy this ever more—though I've got to say, some non-Zutara shippers might like this as well.

_Update: 8/19/08: Recall that practically all of these drabbles in this set were written before season three or possibly even most/all of season two_. _That might the characters' emotions, thoughts, and words more believable._

**

* * *

Reality**

They weren't meant to be.

They were from different nations, different sides. They lived two separate lives, had their two opposite goals. They were enemies, meant to _hate_ each other. The only time they were supposed to meet was in conflict.

But then something _changed _and they were no longer on separate sides. They no longer had separate goals, leading separate lives.

Somewhere along the line their lives had merged, a line blurred.

That wasn't how it was _supposed_ to happen, how it was _supposed_ to be. If anything, _she_ was to be with the Avatar known as Aang. _He_ was supposed to be with the nobleman's daughter.

_Them, _together?

**Never.**

But yet they were constantly being drawn to each other, finding the other to not be so different from themselves after all.

Two separate lives had become one—two people bonded together, no longer different people leading separate lives.

They weren't meant to be—they just _were_.


	17. Taboo

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Taboo  
**Word count**: 300 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: more abstractness**  
****Notes**: I wrote this quite a bit ago (months ago, actually), but you don't know how long it took me to decide which of my drabble sets I could put this in. So here it is, in this one, because of the one word title. Hope you enjoy!

**

* * *

Taboo**

_They cannot be together._

It is a statement, an unwritten rule.

It is an obstacle, a reason that keeps them separated.

It is unchangeable; irreversible.

They will go their separate ways, live their separate lives. They will go back to their respective groups, will follow their separate paths. Following their separate fates, chasing their own dreams.

Their families and friends will rejoice; they are back, they are _home_.

And everyone lives happily ever after, the order of balance restored.

Yet he can't but help wonder that if this is how things are meant to be; why does he feel so alone without her?

* * *

She has lived her life, experiencing everything she could possibly partake in. She had experienced life's twists, turns, ups and downs alike. She had strayed from the beaten path, only to find it again. She lived life to the fullest, with a cheerful optimism that radiated from her, bright as the sun.

She had hoped, she had wished, she had _lived_.

She thought she was ready for anything; absolutely anything that life could toss her way.

She was _wrong_. Nothing could have possibly prepared her for _him_. He was different from anybody she had ever met, any guy she had ever known. He took the term, "different" to new heights.

But eventually he grew on her and she found herself crushing on him; crushing _hard_. She felt herself falling, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

So it was only natural that when she was made to finally face the facts, she fell apart.

How could they do this to her, to him, to _them_? How could they be ripped apart—because of some stupid unwritten rule? Did anybody even know what they _felt_ for each other, what they _meant_ to each other?

Love was supposed to conquer all—but this seemed like one big wall that just couldn't be crushed.


	18. Past

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Past  
**Word count**: 528 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: implied images as well as the pairing that some may not agree with**  
****Notes**: I have no idea what's going on with this one either—I just know that one of the lines was influenced by one of my romance novels and everything else was made from random ideas I had while I was writing this.

**

* * *

Past**

When I was younger and woke up shaking and upset from nightmares my mother was always there to comfort me. She didn't have to ask; it was the same every time.

My mother and I have always been close—it has always been just my brother, her and I—but in the night I always felt…closer than normal. I would run to her and she would always be sitting up on her bed, as if she were waiting for me. I never questioned why she always was awake when I came into her room; she was there when I needed it and nothing else mattered.

I remember her always taking me into her arms and rocking me slowly, crooning soft melodies of times past. I would always say to her, "Mama, that song is so pretty; can you teach it to me?" and she would laugh softly, going over the words slowly. It was such a beautiful song—but it sounded _so sad_. Even at an early age I remember it, remember her rocking me in my crib to sleep, murmuring it under her breath. When I got old enough I asked her what it was about, I remember her smiling sadly before telling me it was about love.

"Mama, is love always so sad?" I asked, my curious amber eyes staring up at her. She would always respond with the same thing, that when I was older I would understand. I could never get her to say more—at that moment all the closeness at night we shared suddenly seemed to disappear and she was more distant than I'd ever known her to be. She would then stare off into the distance and retreat into her memories, ones she had never shared with me.

I never did get an answer out of her—she died soon after my brother was crowned the new Fire Lord, something that must have brought her peace after the 15 long years of war and chaos following the death of the last Fire Lord.

My father was the last Fire Lord, once known as Fire Lord Zuko. I never knew much more than his name, he died in a tragic accident soon after I was born and my mother has never spoken much about him besides that. My brother was not much older than me at the time and his memories are not to be of help. Those long years I spent with my mother at night revealed nothing, nothing more than the memories I have today.

To discover the truth about myself and my past I had to go back in time, back to even before the great war was resolved. To find the answers I was searching for, I had to go back to a time when my father and mother were enemies, back to a time when the newly awoken Avatar sought to establish peace between the nations.

I am here now to tell you a story as old as time—a story about how a young boy united the four nations, a story about a young woman and young man who set out to find their place in the world, _a story about two enemies becoming united as one._


	19. Smell

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Smell  
**Word count**: 272 **Rating**: T+ **Warnings**: A particular pairing, mild swearing and some references to some dirty things. xD  
**Notes**: Well, I wrote this a couple months ago but it really is more of a thing I'd write _before_ I saw the season 2 finale; something I'd probably write after the season _1_ finale because of what's going on. It is still set somewhere in season 3, though…**_Also, the break is not meant to separate time; merely to change perspectives to the other members of the Gaang._**

**

* * *

Smell****  
**  
"Well, maybe it you took _baths_ once in awhile you wouldn't stink like rotten sea prunes."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"You heard me. Or do I need repeat myself in simpler terms so your _peasant_ mind can understand it?"

"You.little.confounding.Fire.Nation.pain.in.the._ass_!"

"Wow, peasant, you actually managed to string more than three words together. I'm amazed!"

"ARGH!" And with that, the no-longer-high-and-mighty Prince of the Fire Nation found himself on the ground with a fist in his mouth and the wind knocked out of him.

"Can't even fight fair, can you, waterbender?" And soon said waterbender was the one in the dust.

"My.name.is.KATARA. GET THAT THROUGH YOUR PEA-SIZED FIRE NATION BRAIN!!"

* * *

"Ewww! This _does_ smell of rotten sea prunes (among other nasty things). Isn't this the container where Katara keeps her soap and other things for her bath?" Aang asked, sniffing the offending container.

"Do you not think I realize that? It was the first container I could find last night. How was _I_ supposed to know she was going to _use_ it this morning? Besides, wouldn't a normal person have _looked_ at what wasin it _before _they used it? Blehhh, those sea prunes were even worse coming up than going down. And that's saying something!"

"But Toph, I _watched_ you eat your dinner yesterday and you looked just fine! It's not like what usually happens when Katara makes stewed sea prunes—which by the way, I don't know why any of you have objections to."

"Snoozles, your stomach may make countless gurgles and other noises while _some_ people are _trying_ to sleep; but that is **_nothing_** compared to the moans and rumbles from the earth I heard last night coming from _those two_."


	20. Death

**Title**: Dance Inside  
**Chapter Title**: Death  
**Word count**: 100 **Rating**: G **Warnings**: abstractness**  
****Notes**: I wrote this so long ago that I have no idea what I was even _thinking_ when I wrote this…but here you go anyway, a very abstract piece that you can think about as practically any character in Avatar.

**

* * *

Death**

It's a funny thing. Death, that is. One day you're there, another day you're not. It doesn't even have to be days; death happens in _minutes_, in _seconds_. Death happens before anyone else can even _grasp_ what just happened.

And you know all those clichéd things about death? They're all _wrong_. My heart doesn't have a hole in it—it's in _pieces_. My life will go on—but not necessarily forward. You won't always be in my heart—you took my heart with you the day you died. I will live on—but not you _and that is no longer a life worth living_.


End file.
